Volunteer Year In Review 2014

In assembling the volunteer data for 2014, the number of discrete volunteers has already reached 950, contributing more than 7,000 volunteer hours and we’re still counting!

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Vanguard Volunteers on MLK Day 2014

The year began on January 20th with Vanguardvolunteersbuilding raised beds on MLK Day and ended on November 22ndwhen Ursinus College volunteers joined a group of buildOn students from Furness High School to winterize Novick Brothers Farm, South Philly.

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UTC hosted two week-long alternative spring break programs in 2014 – Western New England University and University of Delaware. Lots of other college groups signed on during the season including Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Ursinus, Drexel, Thomas Jefferson, St. Joe’s University, Swarthmore, Penn and Villanova. Secondary schools joined us as well – Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Delaware Valley Charter School, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, and West Park High School.

University of Delaware Alternative Breaks (UDAB) Volunteers – building high tunnels at Merion Avenue

Faith-based groups were strong supporters. Teens and adults of the Trinity Church Youth Group and their Philadelphia partner, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, donated over 2,000 volunteer hours during Mission Philadelphia week in June. Others included Ward AME Church, both Bryn Mawr and First Presbyterian Churches, UCC Warminster, Lutheran Inter-Parish Youth of Central MA, as well as the many congregations involved in the Interfaith Center’s “Walking the Walk” program.

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Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Vounteers at the front of the Annex

The corporate stars included Vanguard, Recyclebank, Ernst & Young, Starbucks, Impact100, and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and UTC salutes them for both their labor and financial support.

Repair the World’s Philly Farm Crew brought volunteers three times during the season. UTC’s best adopt-a-garden model St. John’s Community Services ended almost four years of weekly volunteering in the Rose Garden after loss of funding. Two other service organizations, Philadelphia Health Corps and Engineers Without Borders both donated their time.

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Suzanne and Julian

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Individual volunteers signed on and worked at Neighborhood Foods Farm with the farm team and others joined volunteer events. Julian came out many times, joined by his mom, Suzanne, to work his Bar Mitzvah project with us. Community members joined in, too, both children and adults. And we can’t forget the friends and family of UTC staff members!

Junior Community Volunteer Julian with his buried treasure from the 54th Street Community Garden

UTC and this volunteer coordinator thank each and every volunteer who came out in 2014. We would not be able to accomplish what we do without you and we are extremely grateful for all your help!

Please join us as a volunteer in 2015 to help out with the many gardening, farming and community projects! Contact me to sign on as an individual or organize your school/university group, your church, your friends or your co-workers: suegwitte@gmail.com